General Cycling Discussion - my knee is a little cranky, what would you do?

I must have overdone it at some point or another... not necessarily on the bike. I can't pinpoint it to a specific time but, my knee is bugging me a little bit lately. Admittedly, I am a seasonal cyclist, except for some miles on the trainer once it starts to get cold so if I have to have anything done to repair, just as well to have it done in the winter & be rehabbed before spring comes around.

That being said, take it easy and see if it "fixes itself" or take advantage of the last couple of months of good enough weather and power through it?

ICE! Freeze a cup of water and use the ice on your knee while you're hanging watching TV. You say it's
bugging me a little bit so take anti-inflammatories, ice, ride and repeat.

I'd get it checked out before you end up with permanent damage and miss a whole season of cycling in the future. He might just tell you ice and Advil like the other poster but you'll have peace of mind.

I ignored mine and ended up with tendonitis that took me 2 months of physical therapy to clear it up. Not exactly cheap. If I had to do it over again, I would have paid more attention to it and sought medical advice early.

My knee was cranky about 15 years ago. Doctor told me to go get the biggest bottle of ibuprofen I could find and take the max dose until it was empty. Solved it.

My knees only got better once I started riding fixed with high cadence. No pills needed anymore.

What to do what to do ? I am a guy, so the only logical thing to do is keep riding until I can't go anymore, because it's just a temporary little ache and more riding will work out the soreness.
Ibuprofen and ice is for wimps just man up.
Just a word of caution here, I have a relative who is an orthopedic surgeon and he lives in a million dollar house, sometimes just manning up will put you in contact with him, and that is real pain.

Just sayin

Allen

Always consult your physician if you suspect you have an injury that might get worse without treatment.

Be very careful taking NSAIDs like Ibuprofen, especially if you are on blood-thinners or have decreased liver function. Ibuprofen is also very hard on the stomach-- Always make sure you eat something before taking Ibuprofen. In addition, below 600mg, Ibuprofen acts only as an analgesic (pain relief). Only above 600mg does it have an anti-inflammatory effect.

My advice to you would be to take it easy for about 2 weeks and see if the discomfort in your knee goes away. If it does, you should be OK. (there is a reason why team sports have a 15-day disabled list.)

If it does not go away after 2 weeks, see your physician.

its intermittent but I might skip my bike commuting this week. My wife and I will be away next week so any riding I do would be with her and thus, the intensity will be low. The following week, I will be with my brother in N. MI and am not going to skip the ride along Lake Huron at any costs.

In the meantime, ice & ibuprofin it is!

Ice/ibuprofen could be appropriate, depending on your symptoms.
Quad sets could be helpful in strengthening the muscles and connecting parts around your knees.

If you are over 50, walking on pavement will aggravate knee problems no end. Spira shoes solved that problem for me. They have 'wave' springs under the heel and balls of the feet. Just enough 'give' to provide relief. On the bike, I went to a shorter crank. It reduced the angle of the knee bend and relief again. bk

I'd get it checked out before you end up with permanent damage and miss a whole season of cycling in the future. He might just tell you ice and Advil like the other poster but you'll have peace of mind.

THE best advice you'll find on the web !!

People tend to discount their knees until they have real trouble. DON'T DO IT! Get to a doctor ASAP to determine just what ,if anything, is wrong with your knees. It's really a b!tch to try to walk or cycle when their function is messed up. I know I now have dual knee replacement and while I can walk it ain't easy or fun. I cycle as best I can but it gets harder every year.

You don't tell us specifically what sort of problem you're having. The best advice given so far is to have an examination, and preferably by an ortho guy who is involved in sports medicine.
However....We reallize that such luxuries are not available to all....

Where does it hurt? The standard wisdom is that if you are having pain in the front of the knee, around the kneecap, then your are "hyperflexing" the knee. Your saddle is too low, or too far forward, or both.
If it is in the back of the knee, then you may be hyperextending. Your saddle is too high/too far back.
Pain on the sides of the knee often indicates a torn or otherwise damaged cartilage. That's what I had; required arthroscopic surgery.

If the pain is due to incipient arthritis, then the cartilage inside the knee, the cartilage that actually cushions the joint, may be wearing thin. Usually, in early stages, a cortisone shot will make everything pretty decent for some months.

Short of all that, try the old R.I.C.E. treatment. That's Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Quit riding, ice the knee, keep it in an ace bandage or brace, and keep it elevated. Try this for at least several days, preferably a week.

i know its really soon but it feels pretty good today.

Pain is around the kneecap, mostly at the top and inside (as in closer to my right leg, not behind my knee cap)

I am only 29 so I cant really blame this on age although I could maybe blame it on years of skateboards & running.

Gonna keep takin it easy, leaving town for a few days so if its buggin me when I get back, I'm going to the Dr... I have health insurance so it isn't like it will cost me anything to have it looked at...

Hopefully it passes with a little bit of rest.

THE best advice you'll find on the web !!

People tend to discount their knees until they have real trouble. DON'T DO IT! Get to a doctor ASAP to determine just what ,if anything, is wrong with your knees. It's really a b!tch to try to walk or cycle when their function is messed up. I know I now have dual knee replacement and while I can walk it ain't easy or fun. I cycle as best I can but it gets harder every year.

+++100
But go to a specialist, I went to a Gen Prat that had an interest in sports medicine and he said that it was arthritis and not much to do about it. I later went to an orthopedic specialist that specilized in knees, first got an xray before seeing him, he saw a shadow in the xray, did an mri found a bone chip the size of a postage stamp floating around my knee, had surgery to remove the chip and flush the knee. I was walking the same day. I am riding pain free and only occasionally have some pain.

Remember the diagnosis and treatment recomendations that you get on the internet is worth what you paid for them.

seems like giving myself some time off has at least temporarily solved whatever the problem was... I went 2-3 weeks without a ride, then a few light/easy rides with my wife (recreation with no fitness in mind) and finally got a good ride in on Friday. No pain. Here's hoping it was just a matter of over doing it & having some inflamation.

seems like giving myself some time off has at least temporarily solved whatever the problem was... I went 2-3 weeks without a ride, then a few light/easy rides with my wife (recreation with no fitness in mind) and finally got a good ride in on Friday. No pain. Here's hoping it was just a matter of over doing it & having some inflamation.

Glad to hear it's feeling better!

What gears are you using? I haven't had any trouble since I changed mw 52 tooth outer ring to a 46 and the inner(now middle) rchaining to a 36, and added a granny. This was a few years ago. Your foot position on the pedals, and saddle height and position might also be adjusted.

Have your leg amputated, it's almost certainly the only permanent solution.